25th November 2024
Earlier this year, Norscot, a manufacturer of timber frame kits and fenestration systems, received the Digital Innovation Fund Rapid Demonstrator Award from the Smart Manufacturing Data Hub (SMDH)
This award recognises the Company’s commitment to innovation and sustainability in UK manufacturing. The six-month project aims to transform the Company operations through digital technologies and sustainability practices, focusing on:
- Optimising material usage
- Implementing smart inventory management
- Quantifying environmental benefits using Life Cycle Assessment (LCA)
- Sharing knowledge with the UK manufacturing community
Key achievements to date include comprehensive data collection and analysis, including the development of a preprocessing pipeline and upload of a baseline dataset to the Manufacturing Data Exchange Platform (MDEP).
The project has also produced a Minimum Viable Product system architecture with a robust database structure and implemented a pattern recognition model for material storage and usage trends. Analysis of this data has generated valuable insights for improving materials storage design and optimising handling processes.
The project’s progress was showcased through a poster at the Caithness Circular Economy Fair in Thurso, further engaging with the wider community.
Future focus areas include:
- Material offcut reuse optimisation
- Testing and dissemination of findings
This initiative enhances Norscot’s efficiency and sustainability while contributing valuable knowledge to the manufacturing sector. The solution is designed to be replicable across other manufacturing settings, particularly for SMEs. For further information or collaboration opportunities, feel free to contact Norscot via email info@norscot.co.uk
Norscot appreciates the support of the SMDH Digital Innovation Fund and remains committed to expanding its digital capabilities, promoting sustainability, and supporting growth within the UK manufacturing ecosystem.